President Trump has initiated an extraordinary set of measures in the nation’s capital to address homelessness, a problem that has plagued American cities for years. I’ve been following the new strategy, which marks a significant departure from the policies of the last decade. The core of the approach is straightforward: everyone living on the streets must go inside, with no exceptions.
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This is supported by a recent executive order, “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” which even threatens federal funding for cities and states that don’t adopt a similar strategy.
🧠 Reframing the Problem
The administration’s approach is based on a fundamental reframing of the homelessness issue. For years, many advocates have argued that homelessness is primarily caused by the unaffordability of housing. The Trump strategy, however, treats it as a problem rooted in drug use, antisocial behavior, criminal activity, and mental illness.
This view is supported by the largest survey of homeless Americans ever conducted, which found that only 4% cited high housing costs as the primary reason for their situation. Instead, significant majorities reported struggles with mental health, illegal substance use, and histories of incarceration. This perspective aligns with what many Americans see in their communities and explains the broad public support for moving homeless individuals into shelters.
📈 The Dangers of Street Living
Critics of camping bans often ignore the severe dangers associated with living on the streets. I was shocked to learn that almost 3% of America’s homeless population dies on the street each year. Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death, accounting for 29% of all homeless mortalities.
Violence is also rampant. Data from San Diego revealed that homeless individuals were about a dozen times as likely to be victims of serious crimes, but hundreds of times more likely to be perpetrators.
In contrast, research shows that institutions like prisons are far safer than the streets, with a mortality rate less than one-tenth that of the homeless population. While not a preferred solution, it highlights the life-saving potential of moving people indoors.
✅ A New Path Forward
The policies of the past decade, which often focused on a “Housing First” model without requiring sobriety or treatment, have seen homelessness and mortality rates skyrocket. I see the new strategy as taking the grim reality of street homelessness seriously. By prioritizing treatment and moving individuals out of destructive lifestyles, this approach offers what the administration believes is the nation’s best chance at ending this era of urban disorder.
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